


i don't want to have to set you free, don't make me

by notthebigspoon



Series: good at startin' fires [2]
Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-14
Updated: 2012-09-14
Packaged: 2017-11-14 04:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/511504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthebigspoon/pseuds/notthebigspoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Madison isn't stupid. Sure, he didn't go to college and doesn't have the book learning that some of the other players have but he's not stupid. Which is why he's so goddamned angry right now that he could punch Ryan Vogelsong's stupid-gorgeous face in.</p><p>Title taken from Don't Make Me by Blake Shelton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i don't want to have to set you free, don't make me

Madison isn't stupid. Sure, he didn't go to college and doesn't have the book learning that some of the other players have but he's not stupid. Which is why he's so goddamned angry right now that he could punch Ryan Vogelsong's stupid-gorgeous face in. He wants to do it for Ryan thinking that Madison isn't smart enough to know his own mind. He wants to do it for Ryan thinking that he can have any way of knowing whether or not Madison is ready for a relationship, much less one with a guy.

And he is ready. He's not scared of this. He may have actively chosen not to deal with liking dick before but that doesn't mean that he's scared of the fact that he apparently does. _Definitely_ does, if his experiences with Cain and Vogelsong and a one night stand with a gorgeous guy named Zane are any indication. He likes dick, and he is okay with that, and he wants to take Ryan fucking Vogelsong out on a date. Dinner and a movie because there's nothing wrong with traditional, especially when traditional can end up in making out in the dark.

But Vogelsong doesn't see it that way. Vogelsong thinks that Madison should wait and think his life through. Vogelsong thinks that Madison isn't ready. Vogelsong is a fucking idiot.

Maybe he's taking the wrong approach to all of this, even though he doesn't think the rules for dating a guy should be any different than the rules for dating a chick. He'd suggested it to Vogelsong off hand and casual, trying not to make it a big deal. But Vogelsong had said no, so gentle and with a sad smile and now Madison is getting angry all over again just thinking about it. He chucks his phone into his locker so hard that it scatters into pieces. 

He stares at it before picking up the pieces and carefully putting it back together. He pushes the power button, watches the screen flare to life. There's a message from Ali telling him that all of his things from their house in North Carolina have been put into a storage unit and she's sending the key to his mother. It's short, terse and he knows better than to acknowledge the message at all. Nothing good comes from talking to her anymore.

“What are you still doing here? They're about to close things up.”

Madison doesn't look up. He's still angry, he doesn't want to look at Vogelsong right now. He takes a breath before forcing a smirk. “Sorry. Got held up setting up a booty call. Thought about saying no but hey, we're off tomorrow and damn, this guy is _hung_.”

Vogelsong's expression doesn't change much but there's a flame of something ugly in his eyes, something angry and jealous. It hits Madison like a punch in the gut. Nobody looks like that if they don't give a shit. Maybe Vogey really does want this and he's just afraid of screwing it up. Maybe he feels there's too much pressure in possibly being Madison's first boyfriend. Madison doesn't care.

He stands up and makes for the door of the clubhouse, glancing over his shoulder at Vogey. He searches and he waits for just a second before he sees what he was after. That rage in Vogey's eyes that says Madison shouldn't be going anywhere but with him. Madison smirks, reaches out and grabs a handful of Vogey's shirt. He uses the grip to yank him in for a hard kiss. Vogey's hands close on his biceps hard enough to hurt, slamming Madison's back into the wall. It drives all the breath out of Madison's lungs and he feels starts exploding into his vision.

It might be the sudden lack of oxygen or the way that he hit his head a little but he's never felt anything before that's quite as incredible as kissing Vogey, not even sex with Ali or Cain. Which, he's sure probably says some weird things about him but he doesn't give a shit.

Vogey pulls back and looks up at Madison. His eyelids are hanging heavy and his face is flushed. His voice is practically a growl. “What the hell is _wrong_ with you? You're not-”

“If you say I'm not ready for this, I will punch you in your damn fool face. I'm alright with you being old, I'm alright with you being a guy. Am I supposed to make a list of reasons I'm okay with dating you? Gay guys don't really do that, do they?”

“This is such a bad idea.”

Madison grins. He wins.

They leave the park in separate trucks but there's an unspoken agreement for Madison to follow Vogey back to his place. He parks behind Vogey in the driveway and follows him up the walk, grinning to himself. Vogey gives him a half hearted glare before turning to unlock the door. Madison follows him inside, turns to watch him shut the door. He starts to grab Vogey for another kiss when he turns around but Vogey shakes his head.

A few seconds later, he realizes why. A small blur with curly hair surges out of the living room and slams into Vogey's legs. A woman who Madison is ninety nine percent sure is some kind of hippie follows after him. Her voice is light and airy and she seems a million miles away when she pets Vogey's shoulder and Ryder's hair.

“I'm sorry, Ryan. Usually he'll go to bed but after watching you play he insisted on waiting up for you.”

“It's okay Polly. He's a good kid. I'll let it slide this once.” Vogey answers, winking and shifting Ryder to one arm. The kid is already more than half asleep, faced pressed into Vogey's shoulder and a hand fisted into Vogey's shirt. 

Polly leaves after Vogey has fished his wallet out and handed her some money. Madison feels lost, like he doesn't quite belong here. He stands in the hallway, staring around until Vogey gives him a pointed look and nods towards the staircase. Madison trails along behind him, stopping in the doorway of a little boy's dream bedroom. It's Batman from corner to corner, complete with Batmobile bed. Madison might actually be a little jealous

He lingers in the doorway, watches as Vogey tucks Ryder in and reads a children's book. The kid is asleep in three pages but Vogey reads it all the way through and Madison gets the feeling that he doesn't even need the book, he knows it all by heart. There's something about his face that changes, thoughtful with a splash of some unidentifiable emotion, when he kisses Ryder's cheek and turns the night light on.

He walks straight past Madison, down the hallway and through the door that Madison knows leads to the master bedroom. He follows. When he enters the bedroom, he gets a warm feeling flooding through his body as he recalls what they did here the night of the party. How good it was, how perfect Vogey's body felt when it was moving against Madison's own. 

Vogey is in the bathroom. He's shirtless, down to a pair of gym shorts. He's brushing his teeth, not looking away from the mirror as he mumbles around it, “See what you're getting into, Bumgarner? It's not just me. I'm not like your fucking booty call. I have responsibilities. I have someone other than me to think about, somebody that's always going to come first. That something you're going to be able to handle?”

Vogelsong is twelve years older than Madison. He has a son. Madison chews on his lip and thinks it over. He wanders to the bathroom and leans in the doorway, shrugging.

“So? I like your kid. Unless you're thinking I'm gonna scar him horribly or something by kissing you. Am I that ugly?”

“Jesus, you are so messed up.” Vogelsong mutters, rinsing his toothbrush and tossing it aside. He looks at Madison like he's not quite sure that he's something of this planet. It's an expression usually reserved for something Zito or Wilson has said or done. “I just want you to know what you're getting into. This is a lot for a guy like you.”

“Well, I got a world series ring before I was twenty five. I was kind of anglin' for a family before then but I went about it the wrong way. I think this is the right kinda do over.”

Madison worries for a minute that the way he said it has pushed them towards too much too soon. But all Vogey does is smile and shake his head, kissing Madison slowly. He tastes like lemons.


End file.
